身体如何成为存在的根基——梅洛-庞蒂论身体与外在事物的关系

Merleau-Ponty's Thought on the Relationship of Body and the External Things

如果人的存在是身体性存在,那么作为有限的、有边界的物质身体如何超越物质边界,认识理解他人、世界以及作为物质符号的语言,这是现象学家梅洛-庞蒂身体存在论必须要解决的问题。本文以身体与他人、世界、语言的关系这三个问题为中心,指出梅洛-庞蒂通过身体在存在活动中所表现出来的"可逆性",打破了身体与世界及身体本身的物质性边界,把身体建构为身体与事物彼此生成的动态关系系统,身体也即身体性的存在处境。由于身体的可逆性及处境性,作为身体性存在的"我"与他人就有着相互理解并达到共生统一的基础,人与世界也因身体之"肉"这同一性的沟通交流凭借而互生互成;语言则因其与身体处境的密切关联而获得意义,从而能以可见的符号表达不可见但可体验理解的意义。总之,梅洛-庞蒂指出是身体使得人能够理解外在事物并获得存在的统一感,从而把身体建构为存在的根基。

French phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty notes that body is the foundation of being. Then if humans exist as body beings, how do we go beyond the limited and physical body to understand the others, the world and the language？ Merleau-Ponty explains the body in a reversible way; it is considered as a dynamic relation system. By means of this, he creates a solid foundation between the ＂I＂ and others, between humans and the world. Because of body＇s reversibility and always being-in-the-world, the ＂I,＂ the others, the world, and the language as embodiment existence have the possibility to understand each other and gain the co-existence. In short, Merleau-Ponty emphasizes that it is the body which makes us understand things outside and the consistency of existence, so body is the foundation of existence and source of meaning.